1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electronic equipment installed on mobile bodies, such as a vehicle and an airplane, and typified by a display, and more particularly to electronic equipment comprising a stationary unit and a movable unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, compact and lightweight displays have been mounted on mobile bodies, such as a vehicle and an airplane. This enables drivers and passengers to be supplied with image information even in mobile bodies.
Especially, regarding small on-vehicle displays, there have been developed a display of the type that can be accommodated in a dashboard, in addition to a display of the type fixed on the top surface of a dashboard of a vehicle.
Applicant of the present application filed Japanese Patent Application No. 3-355768 disclosing an invention, which relates to a vehicle-mounted display that can be accommodated in a dashboard. Hereinafter, the related art of the invention is described in detail.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show a vehicle-mounted display just as described in the specification and drawings attached to the request in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-355768. FIG. 4 illustrates a state in which the vehicle-mounted display is attached to a dashboard D. Further, FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating the main unit of the vehicle-mounted display, which is taken from the right side thereof. The top subfigure to the bottom subfigure thereof illustrate a process in which the main display unit 20 of the display protrudes from a casing 10.
This vehicle-mounted display comprises the casing 10, which serves as a stationary unit, and also comprises the main display unit 20 and a subcasing 31, which serve as a movable unit, and various kinds of drive mechanisms.
The casing 10 is a box-like enclosure, which is opened on one surface thereof, and fixed to the dashboard D of a vehicle by screws. Further, the display is constructed so that the main display unit 20 projects from the casing 10 through the opening thereof by causing the main display unit 20 and the subcasing 31 to advance toward and retreat from the casing 10.
Usually, almost the entire casing 10 is accommodated and fixed in the dashboard D. Thus, when the entire main display unit 20 is accommodated in the casing 10, the entire main display unit 20 is consequently accommodated in the dashboard D. In such a state, the main display unit 20 is accommodated in the casing 10 so that a principal plane of a screen 21 thereof is nearly parallel to the top and bottom surfaces of the casing 10.
Meanwhile, when the display is utilized, first, the main display unit 20 and the subcasing 31, which serve as the movable unit, start performing horizontal displacement in a direction, in which the main display unit 20 is projected from the casing 10, (that is, in the left direction, as viewed in this figure) as one piece. Moreover, when this movable unit reaches a predetermined place in the casing 10, the main display unit 20 is turned with respect to the subcasing 31. Thus, the main display unit 20 starts performing a stand-up operation. Finally, as shown in the bottom figure of FIG. 5, the main display unit 20 takes such a position that the principal plane of the screen 21 is nearly perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the casing 10. Consequently, a driver can visually check an image displayed on the screen 21.
Incidentally, a drive mechanism for causing the movable unit to perform horizontal displacement so as to advance toward and retreat from the casing 10 and another drive mechanism for causing the main display unit 20 to turn with respect to the subcasing 31 are provided in the subcasing 31. The details of these mechanisms are described in the specification attached to the request in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-355768.
In the case of such a vehicle-mounted display, even during a vehicle runs, the main display unit 20 performs displacement with respect to the casing 10. Thus, there is a fear that abnormal noises are generated owing to phenomena that the running vibrations of a vehicle are transmitted to the vehicle-mounted display, and that thus, the casing 10 and the main display unit 20 of the display hit against each other.
Incidentally, this problem of the generation of abnormal noises can easily be solved by interposing a cushion member between the casing 10 and the main display unit 20 and by then causing the main display unit 20 to slide on this cushion member.
However, when a frame body of the main display unit 20 is thus caused to slide directly on the cushion member, the surface portions of the frame body and the cushion member are cut away by the friction between the frame body and the cushion member. Thus, particulate foreign materials adhere to the cushion member. Further, when the frame body slides again on the cushion member to which such foreign materials adhere, there are fears that the frame body is damaged, and that the adhesion of such foreign materials to the frame body results in a dirty appearance thereof.